Moppets trip to Caruso’s ‘Goats’

Young thesps Canterbury, Basso board D.J. Caruso passion project

After more than a decade in development, writer-director D.J. Caruso is finally moving forward on his passion project “The Goats,” with Chandler Canterbury (“Knowing”) and Annalise Basso (“Dark House”) set to star in the indie drama.

Based on the critically acclaimed young adult novel by Brock Cole, story follows two kids at summer camp who fall victim to a cruel prank that leaves them stranded on Goat Island. Rather than face the humiliation of returning to camp, the duo decide to run away together; what follows is a three-day journey of self-discovery.

AR Films founder Alexander Rodnyansky and Media Talent Group founder and chairman Geyer Kosinski will produce, while John McAdams, Serge Bespalov, James Brubaker and Ken Aguado will exec produce. Production is skedded to start in October in Georgia.

“The Goats” is the second film in recent months to be jointly produced by Rodnyansky and Kosinski, who just teamed on Billy Bob Thornton’s pic “Jayne Mansfield’s Car.”

Caruso most recently directed “I Am Number Four,” which grossed $144 million worldwide.

Between “The Goats” and a lead role in Erica Dunton’s “Plastic Jesus,” Canterbury is starting to break out. He’ll soon be seen alongside Jason Ritter and Rebecca Hall in the SXSW hit “A Bag of Hammers,” which is expected to bow in the spring.